Panic
by Shadowcyrse
Summary: A post-game AU in which the dead characters are revived with scars to remind them. All characters participating in Sburb/Sgrub are immortal, though only those who actually 'got tiger' have access to their powers. Oneshot.
1. Chapter 1

**What is this? I don't even-. Okay. So I've given a new try at fanfics as somebody from Skype inspired me, so hey, I might as well give it a try, right? This was awkward. I mean. I didn't even make up a plotline. I just made it up as I went along and then I got kinda bored so. Now its a oneshot. Unless somebody has any ideas on how to continue? Because honestly, I've got nothing. **

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Sometimes he would sit outside and just stare out at the sea, but he would never go near it. Or he'd go missing for a few hours, only for somebody to find him sitting on the roof, staring up at the sky. He'd changed. The game had changed him. He wasn't the same. He hardly ever spoke. He only ate when somebody forced him to sit down and eat. He was hardly ever present in any celebrations, including his own. And most of all, unlike his friends, he hung up his weapons. Rose, after asking him several questions, diagnosed him with several posttraumatic disorders.

They thought he didn't remember, but Eridan could remember everything. The chainsaw ripping through his abdomen, separating his upper half from his lower half. He remembered the sound. The dreadful sound of the whirring and then that _sound_ it made when it cut through his flesh as if it were merely paper. And he remembered those few seconds where he wasn't quite dead, but far from living. Finally, he remembered dying. It was… pleasant. Like climbing into his recuperaccoon after long hunt.

Worst of all were the memories of the dream bubbles. They had been perfect and that was why he hated them. In his dream bubbles, they cared. In his dream bubbles, he mattered. And for once, everything was 0kay. And then the game was won and he was resurrected. And all that he'd had, any shred of happiness he might have had, was torn away. And now, Eridan was missing.

"Not in hith room." Sollux slammed the door shut. "John! Check the roof!" The Heir floated up to the roof finding it empty, with absolutely no trace of Eridan. Karkat turned, pacing. "Feferi, go check down by the beach. Nepeta, Equius, you two search the woods." He stepped outside to the porch. "God_dammit_, Ampora!" John floated back down towards Karkat. "I can't find him anywhere. There are the caves though, if Aradia wants to check there."

Honestly, though it was technically a mansion, it was still quite small consisting of only sixteen rooms and about six extra rooms to be used, as they were needed. "Alright, Kanaya, Rose, check _all_ of the rooms. Tavros, Jade, check anywhere you can think of." Karkat grabbed his PDA turning to take Gamzee with him. "I'll go into your human city and see if he's there.

Despite the integration of trolls to Earth society, Karkat still hated being in large cities. People stared and there were others who were shockingly racist even to their gods, though they probably didn't know that. John had said they had religions and it would be wrong to swat that aside, so the trolls let them believe in their Gods.

It would be another hour before there was the message in the memo from Aradia.

AA: i found him

CG: OH GOOD. WHERE WAS HE?

AA: he was near the top of the mountain

CG: WOULD HE TELL YOU WHY HE WAS THERE?

AA: he wont say anything

CC: Is )(e okay?

AA: shaken but he seems alright

GG: ill be right up there and ill take you two back home

CG: ALL RIGHT EVERYBODY. ARADIA FOUND HIM. COME BACK TO THE HIVE NOW.

Karkat and Gamzee were the second group to be back, followed by Nepeta and Equius, then finally Feferi. Eridan was already sitting on the couch, his chin resting on his knees, staring down at his feet. Aradia draped a pale yellow towel over his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His eyes flickered up to Karkat's before he stared back down at his feet, ready for the rage tantrum he knew the Cancer would throw.

"The _fuck_ were you thinking running off like that?" Karkat snapped.

Eridan didn't offer a reply.

"You had us all worried _sick_" the red blood continued, beginning to pace.

"Stop yelling at him, Karkat. Yelling isn't going to do anything." Rose stepped forward putting a hand on Eridan's shoulders. "Eridan. Please. Tell us why you just took off like that. Karkat was right. Everybody _is _worried about you."

"That's a _lie._" That was the first actual sentence he'd spoken in about a month. "That's a lie a wwe both knoww it." He turned leaving the towel behind to storm off to his room. He sat down on the bed, bringing his knees up to his chest again, though he pressed his forehead to his knees with a sigh. He heard somebody come in, but he didn't bother to look up. It was probably just Feferi or Karkat or someone. He was surprised when he heard the familiar lisped voice.

"Hey Ed. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to, but at leatht lithten. Hear me out. I know what you think, but everybody ith fucking worried. You haven't been the thame thinthe the game ended and none of uth have any idea why and we jutht want you to tell uth whatth wrong and let uth help you."

"Wwanna help? Leavve me alone." He stayed, face pressed into his knees.

"Eridan-" he was cut off by something flying at his head. Eridan's alarm clock. The seadweller had settled down crisscrossed with something else in his hand, which Sollux recognized as an empty glass. "Alright…I'm leaving." The psionic backed away, closing the door as he left, the alarm clock still in his hand.

The seadweller rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in his pillow, trying to quell the oncoming headache. Outside his window, he could see the setting sun casting a scarlet glow throughout his respiteblock. He still had his recuperacoon in the corner, though he didn't want to use it. It wasn't like he slept much anymore. And with that in mind, he slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

All trolls knew the effects of sopor and what the drug did to help him or her sleep. They also knew what happened when they didn't sleep in a recuperacoon. It wasn't incredibly long before the nightmares began to plague Eridan's rest. The royal blood went still, not thrashing, not screaming, not anything. It was only when the dream ended that the he jolted, sending himself off the edge of the bed and onto the floor.

The result was a loud resonating thump. Eridan's head spun and he could feel his vascular pump, steadily speeding up. His breaths came in the form of frantic gasps. Instinctively his gills were unsealed, flaring in attempt to collect oxygen. Moments later, somebody's arms were wrapped around his shoulders. He curled up, hands coming up to push away the figure in front of him. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. So this was it? He was dying? That was stupid. He couldn't die. He was a god.

"Eridan. Eridan. Look at me. I said LOOK, GODDAMMIT!" The dazed seadweller recognized his leader's voice. Okay. He could deal with that. He stared up into Karkat's eyes. "Inhale. Exhale. Come on. Do it with me. Breath. Inhale." He mimicked Karkat, drawing in a breath. The mutant blood clamped his hand over his nose and mouth, cutting off any way to exhale. Eridan began to flail before Karkat let go, letting him exhale again.

"Like that. Inhale. Come on. You can do it." Eridan copied the motion, sucking in a lungful of oxygen. "Hold it there. Just a bit. Good. And exhale. Take it slow." He let the breath out. Repeating the motions. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. He could feel his heart begin to slow down back to its normal pace. It was only then he realized there were tears running down his face. He reached up trying to rub them away, though he knew Karkat had seen them. All the Cancer did was wrap his arms around the Aquarius, just holding him, letting him cry.

He sat there, curled up in Karkat's horns. It was a world of embarrassment , but it was also comfort and that was what he needed. "Ww-wwhat wwas that?" He managed between pants. "Panic Attack. Your first one?" Eridan nodded. "Yeah. I know. Scary as hell. Can you stand up?" He nodded again, untangling his limbs from Karkat's to pull himself to his feet. "Come with me," Karkat ordered taking him by the arm.

Eridan didn't resist, letting Karkat drag him down the stairs and into the kitchen. He was forced to sit at the dining table, a glass of warm water set down in front of him. Eridan took it, taking a sip of water. Though a simple action, it calmed his frayed nerves. "So howw did you knoww wwhat ta do?"

"You're looking at a panic attack two sweep veteran. I used to get them all the time. They don't come as often anymore or at all, really, but I know how to deal with them. So talk to me. What got you so worked up?"

"Memories a killin' Fef an Kan, blindin' Sol. Destroyin' the matriorb, my conscience bein' a total dick about it." Karkat gave a chuckle at the reply. "I see. I used to flip my shit whenever I bled. And I wasn't the most careful wriggler so I used to get cuts all the time. Just tiny ones, but I'd flip out and then crabdad would be there to help me calm down."

"I nevver kneww that."

"Nobody did."

"Not even-?"

"Not even Gamzee. Or Terezi. Or Sollux. Hell, they still don't even know. And if you tell them I'll cut your fins off." Eridan snorted, taking another drink of water. "Thanks, Kar."

"I hope you aren't thanking me for threatening to mutilate you." He rolled his eyes. "Thanks for helpin' me out back there." Karkat merely shrugged. "Yeah, I would have done it for anybody. Don't think you're so special."

"Pfft. Wwhatevver. I'm gonna go get some rest." Eridan stood up taking the glass to the sink, briefly washing it before setting it on the rack to dry. He disappeared up the stairs leaving Karkat alone in the kitchen. The royalblood stripped off the majority of his clothes, laying them on his bed before climbing into his recuperacoon. The cool slime seeped through his skin, taking effect almost instantaneously, granting Eridan a dreamless sleep which, in his opinion was much better than being plagued by nightmares.

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**So, any ideas? I'd like to keep writing, its just I lack any plot whatsoever. So please do Review it would make me a very happy writer. ShadowC out. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the short chapter. Its just I don't know. Filler maybe? I'm still waiting on that plot, but thank you to the 4 people who faved/alerted and the 2 who reviewed. The plot is coming to me but I still need something. I'm still looking for help and I'll love you forever if you do. owo**

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Eridan didn't even leave his room the next month. The only person he would let in was Karkat. He hardly ate, as usual, being very picky with what he was brought. Usually, he settled for animal crackers and water with the exception of an apple here or there. Karkat noted he got more sleep as well. More often than not, he'd bring the seatroll breakfast, come back for a dinner meal and stay until the troll fell asleep. Everybody, humans and trolls alike, had just stopped asking after a while and Karkat never told them anything.

The morning that he did venture from his room, nobody said anything about it. They greeted him, asked him how his day was, but that was about the extent of it. There were no 'Where have you been?' s and no 'Why didn't you leave your room?'s and everything was pretty okay. He looked for John first, finding the Heir playing some game with the Seer. Once they'd spotted him, he gestured them closer.

They glanced at one another briefly before floating over. "Good morning, Eridan," Rose greeted him with a kind smile. "Mornin', Rose. Mornin', John." John grinned. "We were just tossing a ball around. Care to join us?" he offered. "Actually, I wwas wwonderin if you guys wwould wwanna play. You knoww, your instruments, I mean." Rose smiled again, "Of course we'll play. Right John?"

"Yeah! Of course!" Eridan's face lit up, a smile actually stretching across his face. It was nowhere near Terezi's wide grin (It was a miracle, as Gamzee would say, that her face didn't split right in half), but it was a step up Dave's poker face. The trip made their way to the music room. Jade's bass guitar stood in the corner beside the large piano. Rose's violin rested on the table. Dave's turntables were…pretty much everywhere with wires and cords strung around almost everything possible.

John seated himself down at the piano bench waiting as Rose tuned the small wooden instrument and tightened her bow. The notes swam from Rose's violin in a steady pace, sweet and mellow. John joined in as an accompaniment with soft arpeggios. It stayed tranquil at first like walking through one of the grassy meadows that Nepeta painted. Then there was a moment of silence and the notes came back rebellious, daring. Rose had gotten into her playing, hips swaying as she played, taking steps forwards and backwards accordingly.

"Wwoww… that wwas really good. Thanks…"

"Yeah! No problem!"

"It was a pleasure playing for you." Eridan just offered a small smile and left them to their playing. He searched for Karkat next, finding him watching a romcom with Jade. He leaned in close to the troll's ear, whispering something. The Cancer frowned then nodded, "Just be careful."

"I wwill." He rolled his eyes turning back to his room. He pulled his curtains aside, opening the sliding door. The seadweller stepped out to the balcony and onto the railings, lifting himself up onto the roof. He inched towards the middle, lying back to stare up at the clouds and get lost in his thoughts. He gladly accepted a banana from Dave who tried to convince Eridan he was only delivering the fruit because Karkat wouldn't get off of his back about it, but they both knew better. Eridan ate the banana, still staring up at the sky. The banana peel was captchalogued to be discarded at a later time.

Eridan's hand rested on the white scar circling his waist. It brought bad memories, but it was also calming in a way. His free arm went back behind his head to act as a sort of cushion. He fell asleep that way in the scarlet glow of the setting sun. He woke up a few hours later with a jolt and the sensation of falling to his death. _Holy shit this was it. He was going to die. _Again, that was stupid. He was immortal. He _couldn't _die. Even if he wanted to. He glanced around to see he wasn't even falling.

He was lying in the soft comforts of his bed with a blanket tangled around his legs. Karkat sat in the chair at the bedside. "You fell asleep on the roof, idiot. What if you fell off?" He frowned. "Sorry. I didn't mean ta." Karkat just sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just don't make me have to climb up there and bring you back down again." So it'd been Karkat to take him back to his bed. He sat up more glancing at the window. The moon was still climbing to its zenith, casting an ivory glow. He heard Karkat open the door to leave.

"Wwait! Kar!"

"What?"

"Thanks…"

"I know." With that, the Cancer left , closing the door behind him. Eridan tilted his head back staring up at the ceiling fan, lazily spinning circles, blowing a breeze of air into his face. After an hour or so, he crawled back under the covers to get at least a little bit of rest.

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**I guess this is pretty much just... yeah. Oh! And If you want to know where the inspiration for the music is from, its this song here Without Spaces of course. watch?v=tiWXrVXOMAU . Just paste that after the slash on youtube because FF won't let me post links.**

**ShadowC out**


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